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(No Model.\ 2 Sheets--Sheet I.

L. SCHULTZ. QUILTING MAGHINB.

Patented July 28. 1891.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

L SCHULTZ. QUILTING MACHINE.

Patented J111y 28, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS SCHULTZ, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE EXCELSIOR QUILTINGCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

QUILTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,738, dated July 28,1891..

Application filed October 18, 1889- Serial No. 327,451. (Ncmodeh) To allwhom it? may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SCHULTZ, of New York, in the county of NewYork and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Quilting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

I will describe a quilting-machine embodying my improvement, and thenpoint out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l. is a back View of a machineembodying my improvement, certain parts being. broken away to economizespace. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the machine, certain parts beingrepresented in section. Fig. 3 a transverse I vertical section taken onthe plane of the dotted line 00, Fig. 2, and looking in the directionindicated by the arrow which is contiguous to such line. Fig. at is atransverse vertical section taken on the plane of the dotted line Zj y,Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow which iscontiguous to such line. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a portion ofthe machine, taken on the plane of the dotted line a .2, Fig. 1. Fig. 6is a front View of certain parts of a ratchet mechanism comprised in themachine. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of certain parts employed toimpart motion to a carriage comprised in the machine. Fig. 8 is a bottomview of parts represented in Fig. '7. Fig. 9 represents a piece offabric embellished with quilting, which maybe performed by the ma chine.

Similar letters of reference designate corre sponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates the bed of the machine. here shown, it is supported on legsA.

B B designate two side frames, secured in the present instance to thebed A by bolts or otherwise to occupy parallel positions.

(1 designates the needle-bar. This has secured to it a series of needles0', which in the present instance are arranged in two rows, so that theneedles of the second row will be behind those of the first row andopposite the spaces between those of the first row. This arrangement ofthe needles may be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3, where someof the needles are represented, and it may also be understood byreference to the zigzag row of circles, which in Fig. 2 represent holesin the cover of the shuttle or loop chamber.

Secured to the needle-bar are a number of upright rods 0, which workvertically within brackets 11, attached to the front of the bar C andare connected at the upper end by links 0 with arms 0 affixed to arock-shaft C On'the rock-shaft are other arms 0 and these are connectedwith rods 0 secured to a presser-foot bar. The rock-shaft is oscillatedby means of a rod 0 deriving motion from a crank 0", arranged upon ashaft D.

The shaft D is driven from a driving-shaft D through the agency of asmall gear-wheel d afiixed to the shaft D, and a large gearwheel (Zatlixed to the shaft D. The shaft D will obviously be driven at a lessrapid speed than the speed of the driving-shaft D. It will, however, bedriven constantly when the machine is in operation, and hence during theentire operation of the machine the needle will operate. It will bereadily understood that the rock-shaft imparts a vertically-reciprocating motion to the needle-bar and needles. The needles in this machinehaveonly an up-and-down movement.

In the machine is included shuttle mechanism, and E designates therace-bar therefor.

In the present example of the improvement the fabric to be quilted isfed lengthwise under the needles and also moved laterally. Rollers F Fserve to move it longitudinally. These rollers are supported in acarriage G G G This carriage consists of two side frames G G2 and rods Gsecuring them together. It is free to move in anydirection in ahorizontal plane. As shown, these side frames G G2 have secured to themrollers R, extending widthwise of the machine parallel with theneedle-bar and journaled in brackets fastened to the lower extremitiesof the side frames. Beneath these rollers R are pairs of rollers Rextending forwardly and backwardly of themachine and j ou rnaled inbrackets secured to the bed A. The rollers R rest upon and are supportedby the rollers R It will readily be understood that the rollers B mayroll upon the rollers R in the direction of, the axes of the latter, soas to enable the carriage to move backwardly and forwardly, and that therollers R can rotate under the with a groove.

rollers R to enable the carriage to move laterally, or, in other words,lengthwise of the needle-bar. The feed-roller F is jonrnaled in the sideframes G G of the carriage. The roller I is journaled in levers G, whichare fulcrn med between their ends by pins or bolts 9 to the side framesG G of the carriage. At the rear ends the levers G are connected tosprings G attached to screws G", engaging with upright bars fastened tothe side frames of the carriage. These springs force the roller F withgreater or less pressure toward the roller F.

The fabric to be quilted is at first rolled on a roller R, attached tothe carriage. Thence it is drawn by the feed-rollers over an apon P,extending beneath the needles and attached to the carriage. Thefeed-rollers F F are geared together by gear wheels f, affixed to theirjournals at one end. To the roller F is affixed a gear-wheelf Thegearwheel f derives motion from a gear-wheel f affixed-to a shaft F,which is supported at one end in the side frame 13 of the carriage. Theshaft F does not partake of the lateral movement of the carriage. Hencethere must be a relative sliding movement between it and the carriage.Because of this the gearwheelf is to be secured to the shaft F by meansof a spline or feather and connected to the bearing of the carriagereceiving the shaft F, so that the gear-wheel will move with thecarriage and have a sliding movement relatively to the shaft F. Theshaft F is connected by a universal joint f to a shaft F. This shaft Fis supported in bearings f supported by the bed A of the machine. Owingto the universal joint between the shafts F and F the carriage is ableto move forwardly and backwardly. It is therefore possible for thecarriage to move in any and all directions in a horizontal plane withoutinterfering with the transmission of rotary motion to the feedrollers.The shaft F has mounted on it a gear-wheel f and the latter, and throughit the sh aft F derives motion periodically from a toothed segment faffixed to a shaft F This shaft F5" is supported in a bracket or standerected upon the bed A. The driving-shaft D has affixed to it agear-wheel d, which engages with a gear-wheel cl, which in the presentinstance is loosely supported upon the shaft D and has affixed to it agearwheel d Obviously any rotary motion tran smitted to the wheel d willalso be transmitted to the wheel (1 The wheel d engages with agear-wheel (1 mounted upon a shaft D supported in a bracket cl, erectedupon the bed A. The wheel (1 is arranged at one side of the segment fand is provided upon that side which is adjacent to the segmentf Thisgroove extends in the direction of a radius of the wheel. In the presentinstance this groove is formed by affixing two parallel bars (Z to thewheel (1 The bars may be affixed by casting or formed separately andattached by screws or other- .4 tsetse wise. Between these bars a blockd" is so arranged that it may move lengthwise of the bars. The segment fis provided near that end which enters the wheel f each time the segmentengages with said wheel with a pin (1 which extends into the block d.Obviously the same effect might be produced by affixing a pin to theblock and extending it through a hole in the segment. As the wheel drotates it imparts a rotary motion to the segment f with a variablespeed. In Fig. 4 the segment is represented as just about entering thewheel f, and it will be observed that the pin (1 is near the axis of thewheel C1 The motion imparted to the segment at the start will thereforebe a very slow one; but as the rotation continues the pin d willgradually become nearer to the periphery of the Wheel (1- and the motionimparted by the wheel 66 to the segment f will grow more rapid.

It will be readily understood that only when the segment f engages withthe gear-wheel f" is motion transmitted to the feed-rollers. In makingsuch a pattern as illustrated in Fig. 9 it will only be necessary tooperate the feed-rollers to shift or feed the fabric from one row ofcircles to the next corresponding row of circles, and this is what isaccomplished by the periodical driving through the segment f in themanner described.

It may not be desirable to have the segment f impart motion to thegear-wheelf and shaft F in each revolution of the segment. Owing tothis, I connect the gear-wheel f with the shaft F so that it may slidelengthwise of said shaft into and out of the plane of the segment, itbeing connected to the shaft by a spline or feather, so as to rotatetherewith. I have shown the hub of the wheel f as provided with acircumferential groove receiving an arm f on a bar or plate J. This baror plate is shown as provided with bowls or rollers coacting with cams JJ affixed to a shaft F". These cams serve to impart such a movement tothe bar or plate as to cause the movement of the gear-wheelf into andout of the plane of the segment f The shifting of the wheel f will beperformed quickly between one descent of the needles and the nextfollowing descent thereof and without providing for any unusual dwell ofthe needles.

F is a cam affixed to the shaft F and operating a brake-lever F employedfor the purpose of gradually checking the rotation of the shaft F whenit becomes disengaged from the toothed segment f As here shown, thisbrake consists of a lever fulcrumed by a pin f to a standard or bracketand having at one end an adjustable bearing-plate f 00- acting with thecam, and at the other end a pad bearing against a wheel f which isatfixed to the shaft F This wheel) is not merely employed to coact withthe brake, but is provided with teeth to serve as a lockwheel. Its teethcoact with a stop flange or disk f, which is circular in form and has anotch or opening in its periphery. Except when this notch comes oppositethe lock-wheel f the stop flange or disk engages with the lockwheel fand holds the latter against rotation. While the shaft F carrying thislock-wheel, is thus held against rotation, the feed-rollers areprecluded from rotating. One end of the notch or opening in the stopflange or disk comes opposite the lock-wheel f just before one end ofthe toothed segment f enters into engagement with the gear-wheelf on theshaft F, and the notch or opening is not carried beyond the lock-wheeluntil after said toothed segment has gone out of engagement with thewheel f. It follows, therefore, that the stop flange or disk locks theshaft F and the feedrollers at all times except when the toothed segmentf engages With the wheelf to rotate the shaft F" and the feed-rollers.The shaft F derives its rotary motion through a gearwheel f, which isaffixed to it, and engages with a worm f affixed to the shaft- D.

On one of the journals of the roller F may be affixed a pulley H, toenable the roller to transmit rotary motion to a roller upon which thecompleted fabric will be taken up or wound.

Having now described the mechanism by which rotary motion is imparted tothe feedrollers and explained the rotary motions imparted to thecarriers,I will now describe the means which are here employed forproducin g the motions of the carriage.

I I designate two upright shafts journaled in brackets '6, secured onthe bed A. On these shafts are affixed bevel gear-wheels 2' i Theseshafts I I have also affixed to them cranks i which enter holes in armst, that are affixed rigidly to the side frames G G of the carriage. Thecranks 1 are not fixedly secured to the shafts I 1 but they are fastenedto blocks 5, which slide in grooves G in disks 7. The disks 7 aresecured to the shafts I 1 Their grooves 6 are open at the under side andextend diametrically across them. The cranks are screw-threaded and haveapplied to them below the disks nuts 10, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) by meansof which the blocks may be clamped in any position upon the disks towhich they may be adjusted. The cranks extend beyond the nuts into holesin the arms i The bevel gear-wheels 2" of the shafts I I engage withbevel gear-wheels i, afiixed to a shaft I, journaled in bearings in theside frames 13 B The shaft I rotates the shafts I 1 in unison.Obvionsly,if the shaftsl' I rotate, their cranks i will move thecarriage in a circle, so that the work will be moved in a circular lineor path beneath every one of the needles. As a result of this movement,a number of circles of stitches will be made, as represented in Fig. 9.The threads may be carried between adjacent circles produced by the samerow of needles, as represented by the full lines in Fig. 9.

The shaft I has affixed to it a ratchet-wheel M and loosely mounted uponit is an arm M having pivotally connected to it a pawl M*, which impartsmotion to the ratch et-wheel M and consequently to the shaftIwheneverthe pawl is properly actuated. The arm M is oscillated to actuate thepawl by means of an eccentric M, affixed to the shaft D, and a rod M,extending from the eccentric to the arm. A stop-pawl M may be combinedwith the ratchet-wheel M to prevent the rotation of the latter in thewrong direction.

Preferably a brake will be combined with the shaft I to preclude thepossibility of any undesirable movement. I have shown a brake wheel orpulley M affixed to the shaft I and receiving around it a brake-band M,which at one end is fastened to anyfixed support-as, forinstance, abracket upon the bed A-and at the other end is provided with a screwpassing over a bracket secured to the bed A and receiving on its end anut, whereby it may be tightened or loosened to bear with more or lessforce upon the pulley.

I have other applications for Letters Patent, Serial Nos. 326,671 and327,096, showing some combinations of parts which are herein representedand not herein claimed. I therefore reserve the right to claim in theother applications the novel combinations not herein claimed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

1. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a series of needles, acarriage for moving material to be stitched in a circular or a similarpath, mechanism for causing such movement, feed-rollers supported bysaid carriage and operated so as to remain stationary during themovement of the carriage and to rotate while the carriage is at rest, awheel (Z a toothed segment connected by a groove and block or rib withthe wheel just mentioned, and a wheel deriving motion from the segmentand arranged upon a shaft transmitting motion to the feed-rollers,substantially as specified.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination of a series of needles, acarriage for moving material to be stitched in a circular or a similarpath, feed-rollers supported by said earriage and operated so as toremain stationary during the movement of the carriage and to rotatewhile the carriage is at rest, a shaft D, a wheel (1, a toothed segmentconnected with said wheel (1 by a groove and block or rib, a shafttransmitting motion to the feedrollers, a wheel sliding axially of thisshaft and deriving motion from the said toothed segment, and a cam forimparting to said sliding wheel its movement-s axially of its shaft,said cam being operated from the shaft D, which operates the pawl,substantially as specified.

LOUIS SCHULTZ.

Witnesses O. R. FERGUSON, lVM. M. ILIFF.

